A Belated Happy New Year Seasons Greetings and specifically a Most Prosperous 2002 to all our dear friends and family. Where did 2001 go and what’s happening to 2002 already!

We hope you had a most magnificent Christmas as we did. The Durrants had 14 for a late lunch, including Kay’s Mum and Dad and Adrien our French Rotary exchange student. It was splendid to sit and relax amongst friends and family.

We haven’t communicated for some time (slack I know) but the beauty of a holiday period is taking that little extra time to say hello! Albeit we missed our Christmas message for the last two years! (double slack) Whilst we have been mobile we now believe our new address will be permanent hence this is a change of address as well as the definitive Durrant greeting.

We settled on our new home on 22 February. “A magnificent character home dripping period detail and offering all of today’s comforts. Formal entry, study, grand lounge, huge informal living/dining, 3 bedrooms, 2 ensuites, parking off rear ROW”. If you believe the Real Estate blurb! Basically its lovely old home (Circa 1903) that’s just right for the 4 of us. It really is so close to everything it makes life easier. It has a bus stop near the door or a walk to the station. Great for those visitors that need to see Perth. We are just across the road from Kings Park.

After being made redundant November 2000 from WMC, (too traumatised to write) we moved to Perth for the kids to settle into school. We set up in Karrinyup for Janet’s last year at St Mary’s and close to Trigg beach for me. (suggested by trauma counsellor)

Highlights for me have been losing 12 Kg, reducing my cholesterol from 7.9 to 5.4 and achieving a level of fitness long forgotten. Kay accomplished this by getting me on the ‘Liver Cleansing Diet’.

During last year, we formed our own Company structure under which I worked part time. This lead to a number of Contracts amongst the Defence sector, Local Government, Federal Government agencies and the Private sector. Basically anywhere work was available. For the future I have just been appointed General Manager WA Naval Group with the Australian Submarine Corporation, going back to my past after nearly a ten year absence.

Kay is much more happy having me provide a steady income and her not having to be the bread winner!

My passion for politics hasn’t stopped. I was involved in the State seats of Kalgoorlie, Eyre and Roe as President of the Kalgoorlie South Division. We won Kalgoorlie against the State trend and made positive inroads to both Roe and Eyre while the liberals were annihilated in the State.

I was appointed the campaign manager for the federal seat of Kalgoorlie. Barry Haase was returned with an increase from 2.1% to 4.8%. Quite an experience

Finally, I am now Chairman of the Policy committee this allows me to be a representative for State Executive. Having achieved that, we now have a significant challenge to revamp the liberal party in WA and return the Libs to Govern the State. Not an insignificant task!

Back to the family. Janet had a number of highlights last year starting with the year 12 formal ball in February. The young ladies looked gorgeous and the young gentlemen oh so handsome, off in stretched limos dressed to kill. Then back to the Durrant home for “Afters”, we had about a hundred 16 & 17 year olds from midnight to dawn making a significant noise. Me and a couple of other Dads as bouncers. You have to go through that evolution at least once to understand you won’t do it again. In the main, they were very good and “us” bouncers only had to speak to a couple of errant partygoers.

Gareth followed up with a party of his own in May. As the kids had spent five years in Boarding school we allowed them a break out to compensate for not being with them over the years. Only seventy this time and we drew stumps at 4 am. The mob was once again well behaved under threat of death from me. The most amazing observation for me was the screaming of the girls. They would emit piercing screeches every two minutes in an amazing greeting amongst young adults, which almost brought me undone.

As I said you have to go through this evolution at least once to understand you won’t do it again. Me, not being as smart as the average bear, did it twice.

The end of year celebrations for Janet didn’t get in the way of TEE exams. The partying is still going on and the exams long forgotten. The biggest party of all last year was of course “Leavers”. “Leavers” were held in Rottenest after the exams but for Janet they continued to Lancelin, onto four more country towns before returning home burnt out a week later.

Gareth excelled at debating last year winning his division for the school as a year 11 team against mostly year 12s. They went on to the area championships and performed credibly gaining good experience. He gained his colours for debating and 2 commendations.

He and a number of Scotch boys completed a 50-mile walk with students from Methodist Ladies College during the year. This was quite a walk starting at 3:30 am and not finishing until 9:30 pm. The rest of the year for the kids was spent on the phone to friends, this introduction to “day bugs” cost Kay and I a fortune.

This year Janet is doing a Bachelor of Business Degree majoring in Hospitality at Edith Cowan. Gareth is thinking ahead to university also, with only a year to go he is looking to a combined Arts (Asian Studies) degree at UWA with Law, Commerce or Economics. However, he is applying for a Rotary Exchange after year 12 coming back to Uni in 2004.

So, life for the Durrants’, going into 2002, is excellent as usual and our social life continues to tax the liver.

As Peter mentioned I am now working for Aliquot Property Management and thoroughly enjoying it. Although my time spent at work is rather long in comparison and I was pleased to have Peter playing Mr Mum once again. My company’s focus is the management of residential properties via technology eventually to form the largest property management company in Western Australia.

Listed on the stock exchange, Aliquot Asset management is showing steady growth although somewhat small in $ value. I suggest you could buy some shares but I didn’t tell you. The Company is at the forefront of property management utilising technology and media marketing to obtain and receive all data.